Granville Plus Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Children love coming to this school with its great sense of community. Children want to do their best. The school's motto of 'growing hearts, minds and community' captures the ambition of all at the school.

Adults know the children and their families well. They use this knowledge and close working relationships to give children a safe and positive start to their learning.

Children respond to the high expectation that adults have for them.

They participate in the imaginative activities they take part in actively. Even the very youngest children learn to sit, learn and eat together. There is a strong culture of welcoming and respecting all here.

Childr...en listen to each other, are kind and play together safely. Children trust adults to help them when needed. Parents and carers value how adults in school help their children to feel secure and happy.

Children who need extra help, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully supported by adults. Leaders ensure all children are included in the life of the school. As a result, the atmosphere around the school is joyful and calm.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders, including governors, have retained a clear focus on the needs of children during a period of leadership changes. Staff are proud to work at the school and feel supported and valued. Leaders have designed an ambitious new curriculum.

It helps children to secure appropriate knowledge and skills sequentially. Teachers explain things clearly. They help children to deepen their knowledge, including about the world around them.

For example, adults enabled children to compare objects that floated or sunk in the water tray. Children learn to eat healthily at lunchtime and enjoy music to choreograph dance moves.

The school's curricular thinking focuses on developing children's rich language and communication skills.

Most activities build on what children have learned before and prepares them for what comes next. Leaders regularly check that the curriculum in each learning area is helping children remember key vocabulary. For instance, children learned the names of different minibeasts.

On occasions, staff do not make most of activities to deepen children's knowledge, skills and vocabulary development.

Leaders prioritise children's early reading and language development. Leaders and staff promote a love of reading.

Children listen to stories and join in with songs enthusiastically, copying actions and repeating words. Children delight in using newly remembered words and sentences. They enjoy acting out stories they have heard.

They can find quiet areas and, with the help of adults, access many books of interest to them. The recently introduced phonics programme enables older children to develop their knowledge of early letter sounds quickly.Teachers check children's understanding often.

They identify those who need extra help, including for children with SEND, promptly. They adapt their teaching to meet children's needs. Leaders work closely with specialists when their help is required.

Pupils with SEND achieve successfully. Adults reinforce new vocabulary constantly through modelling spoken language skilfully. As a result, children with SEND gain confidence in communicating and gaining new knowledge.

Children are taught to listen well. They learn how to concentrate during tasks and activities. Routines for the youngest children, such as sitting in groups, are quickly established when they join the school.

Staff help children make positive choices to ensure behaviour is consistently positive. Children respect each other and adults help them to become increasingly independent. For example, while clearing away resources and hanging coats up.

Children also visit the local shops and park to broaden their understanding of the community.

Leaders have ambitious plans to improve the curriculum, as well as the school's environment and resources. They are supported well by committed governors, who bring a wealth of skills and experience to their roles.

Leaders value their staff highly and are determined to provide them with the training and support they need to be as effective as possible.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that there is a strong safeguarding culture.

Leaders work well with a range of external agencies to ensure that any vulnerable children and their families receive the help they need. Safeguarding training is timely, comprehensive and relevant to the context of the school. Staff identify and report any signs of concerns about children.

Leaders maintain accurate and thorough records of actions where concerns about children have been raised. Children go without hesitation to trusted adults when they have any concerns. Children are taught how to keep safe, such as using a knife safely when cutting up their vegetables.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasions, opportunities to teach aspects of the curriculum, including important vocabulary, communication skills and knowledge, are missed. Sometimes, staff do not make the most of activities in order to develop children's understanding. The school must ensure that staff fully embed the curriculum expectations and make the most of all interactions with children so that they can consolidate and secure what children know and can remember.

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